a kitchen makeover (part 2)

Next up, the counters need to be installed. We need to get a template made first, so we need to remove our old countertops and they come measure the cabinets, and then we have to wait ~2 weeks for the new counters to be installed – yes that means 2 weeks without any countertops, since we have already removed the old ones. Ugh. Once the template guys come, we run into another problem. Our cabinets aren’t level. Not noticeable to the eye, but enough that they need to be fixed before putting the super heavy granite on them or we’d risk cracks. There’s another unexpected cost. We need another professional to come in and do that for us. We’ve also realized that since tiling the floor, once we put the granite counters on top, we won’t be able to get the dishwasher out without completely removing the floor tiles if we ever needed to do repairs. And the oven is having other issues about its height and the difference in thickness between our old counters and the new ones. So the carpenter and my husband decides the best solution is to remove all the cabinets and raise them all a few inches rather than just shimmy them.

I come home to find all our cabinets in our living room. All of our cabinet contents are in Tupperware bins in the dining room. This project has gotten way out of hand. Our house has been a dump for several weeks now. Sigh.

The cabinets get leveled, and back in the kitchen, the cabinet contents unfortunately stay in the dining room. We don’t want the contents getting dirty in the kitchen when the counter guys come back for installation. The day before the counter install, we disconnect the water to the sink and dishwasher, and put in the new connections. Oh, did I mention we needed new plumbing for the sink because of the different dimensions of new counters and sink (we did manage to get a free sink from the counter people, but had to buy the new hardware and plumbing accessories, and now my husband can add plumbing to his list of skills!) once the new plumbing was in and ready for the new counters/sink, the counter installers postponed our install by 3 days. Doh! So now we had no plumbing in the kitchen, and I was washing dishes in the basement. Not fun. Three days later the counters went in with no problems. And they look gorgeous!!

Backsplash time. We ended up purchasing mostly white subway tiles for the backsplash. We were trying to keep it fairly neutral (because we realize future buyers may not love orange as much as I do), and we liked the price of the subway tiles. We did think all white would be boring, so we chose a glass mosaic tile to create a border and a picture square above the stove.

Loving how it came out. the tile was pretty easy to put in, by this time the husband and I had a great little routine, him outside with the wet saw cutting all the pieces I was measuring for him (there actually ends up being quite a bit of cutting to go around outlets and corners and fit under cabinets. Tiles in, grouted, and edges caulked. And here’s the dramatic reveal.